Last season was a season of change for the Indiana Pacers. After firing head coach Nate McMillan, the Pacers hired Nate Bjorkgren to change up the team’s identity. At first, it worked as the team tweaked its offense and defensive coverages. Then, however, the injury bugs hit Indiana once again. Unlike the year prior, the team wasn’t able to overcome injuries last season despite Domantas Sabonis having a career year. The Pacers finished the season 34-38 and lost to the Washington Wizards in a play-in game.
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Offseason Recap
After firing Bjorkgren, the Pacers hired coach Rick Carlisle, who coached the Pacers from 2003-2007. He is one of the best tacticians in the league. Outside of hiring their new coach, the Indiana roster pretty much remains intact. One addition that was made during the 2021 NBA Draft was Chris Duarte, selected with the 13th pick. Indiana also brought back T.J. McConnell on a four-year, $35.2 million contract in free agency. Sharpshooter Doug McDermott was signed and traded to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Starting Five
PG – Malcolm Brogdon
SG – Jeremy Lamb
SF – Justin Holiday
PF – Domantas Sabonis
C – Myles Turner
While the Pacers are a team that is under the radar, they do have a talented starting lineup when healthy, especially when key players T.J. Warren and Caris Levert return. Until then, they’ll depend on Jeremy Lamb to provide scoring at the guard position and Justin Holiday‘s shooting. Defensively, Malcolm Brogdon can hold his own at the guard position while Myles Turner is one of the best shot blockers in the league. The Pacers can survive on the defensive end with this lineup. They’ll just have to wait a while until they get their full starters back.
The Bench
The team does not have one of the best benches in the league. With Lamb starting, that takes some of the scoring away from the second unit. Indiana does have a good playmaker and defender in McConnell, who is coming off of his best season. Last season, McConnell averaged 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Rookie guard Duarte is going to be heavily depended on to provide shooting with McDermott gone. However, the Pacers are really missing a scorer off the bench, and they’re going to need that with two key players out.
One Potential Move to Make
The Pacers are one of the few teams reportedly interested in acquiring Ben Simmons. Simmons is an elite playmaker and defender, but the Pacers might want to think twice about this move. You could argue that Simmons won’t put them in a similar class with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks over the next few years. Instead, they should make a move for Eric Gordon. With Levert and Warren out, Gordon could help ease the scoring burden off the bench. He can even fill in as a starter. Most importantly, a move for Gordon wouldn’t be as costly as a deal for Simmons. To acquire Simmons, the Pacers would likely have to part with Brogdon, Levert, Warren, and multiple picks.
Season Outlook
The Pacers are determined to get back to the playoffs again. The Eastern Conference has certainly gotten tougher with teams like the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets getting better. Indiana has a shot at the last playoff spot in the East, though. On paper, the Pacers have a very talented roster. However, they need to stay healthy, which has been the issue the past two seasons. We’ll see how things work out for the team this season.
Season Prediction: 42-40, third in the Central Division
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